Odyssey
by Darth Brando
Summary: Part 6 of Doctor Who: The Hunger Games Series. Fear. That is what they are. My greatest fear. I can't fight them because they cannot be injured and cannot die. And I can't run, because even blinking will mean I'm dead. The only option is to be killed by their cold hands. There is no escape. No way to fight. Stone beats people every time.
1. Prologue

**Milky Way Galaxy: Alpha Quadrant**

**74,656 AD**

"Captain Miral Paris' log, April twenty-third," the Captain rubs a hand over her closed eyes, fighting to keep her irritation out of her voice. "_Odyssey _has been ordered to investigate the Horse Head nebula after a scout craft picked up evidence that a large pocket of the so called 'super-carbon' exists within the nebula. Since this carbon is more than worth its weight in platinum, Command has ordered us to investigate further. If the super-carbon does exist, we are to collect it before the Sontarans find it. Additionally, we are authorized to use any force necessary to stop them if they do approach."

Paris rubs her face again. "I'm not sure what good the order will do since Odyssey is a scientific vessel, not a warship," she says bitterly. "If the Sontarans show up, we're going to get blown to pieces."

Paris is interrupted by a chiming sound. Her comlink bursts with a bit of static before a voice comes through. "Captain, we've arrived at the Horse Head nebula," it says.

"On my way," Paris replies. She shuts off the recorder before standing and striding out of her quarters. The doors open directly into the bridge. "Is everything ready?" she asks, striding to her chair at the center of the bridge. "I want to get this mission over with and back home as soon as possible."

"Aye captain," a man in a dark green uniform says. "Sensors are making a sweep and transporters are ready if we do find anything. I've also taken the liberty of readying the shields and weapons in case we need them."

"Thank you O'Neal," Paris says, seating herself in her chair.

"Captain, sensors are showing super-carbon levels that are off the chart," says a woman standing at one of the control panels. "I've never seen levels this concentrated before." She glances back at the sensor readout and frowns. "I'm also picking up something else. I'm not sure what it is. The nebula is interfering with the sensors." She makes a few adjustments. "Okay, it's coming in now. It's a ship."

"What kind of ship?" Paris demands.

The woman glances at the scanner readout again. Her brows furrow in concentration as she continues to adjust the scanners. Suddenly, her eyes widen in fear. "Sontaran warship!" she shouts.

"Red alert," Paris orders calmly. An alarm blares throughout the ship, and the crew scrambles to their battle stations.

"Shields and weapons at maximum," O'Neal says. "Awaiting your order to fire captain."

"Aim everything we've got at them," Paris says grimly. "Fire on my mark."

"Captain," a man at the communication station interrupts. "They're sending out a distress signal."

Paris raises an eyebrow and turns to the woman at the sensor readouts. "What's their condition?" Paris asks.

The woman consults the readouts. "The ship has no power," she says. "It looks like they had a core breach. No life signs detected, but there is a lot of radiation."

"Any indication of what caused it?" Paris asks.

The woman shakes her head. "Not as far as I can tell," she says. "But they also have a lot of the super-carbon onboard."

Paris strokes her chin, contemplating her next move. "Prepare a boarding party," she says. "O'Neal, you have the comm. If it's a trap, blow that ship to scrap."

"Aye captain," O'Neal says.

It takes only a few minutes for the boarding party to suit up in the anti-radiation suits and to fly one of _Odyssey's _shuttles to the Sontaran ship. Once they force their way aboard, the boarding party splits into smaller groups to explore different sections of the ship.

Paris and two others head to the cargo bay. There, they find four small containers full of the super-carbon. "That was thoughtful of them," Paris comments, hefting one of the containers.

"I love it when Sontarans are considerate," the other woman says, also hefting a container.

The third crew member wanders deeper into the cargo bay. His flashlight illuminates a dark corner and he cries out in surprise. Paris immediately draws her blaster from its holster. "What is it?" she demands, checking to make sure the blaster's safety is off.

The man waves Paris over. "It's a statue captain," he says sheepishly.

"A statue?" Paris asks, confused. "I thought Sontarans didn't collect art."

"They do now," the man says.

Paris examines the illuminated statue. It's so out of place on the Sontaran ship that she pinches herself to make sure she isn't dreaming. Satisfied she's awake, she turns her attention to the statue. "It's beautiful," she says. "But what would the Sontarans want with an angel statue?"

The man shrugs."It could be a trophy," he offers.

"Sontarans don't collect trophies," Paris says.

The woman waves a hand-held scanner in front of the statue. "It's made of the super-carbon," she says, staring at the readout.

"Tag it and have it moved over to Odyssey," Paris says.


	2. The Library

"Why are we here?_" _I demand. I cross my arms and narrow my eyes to show the Doctor how much I don't want to be here. Of course, he doesn't notice. Or he doesn't care. I'm not always sure with him.

"If there's anything about Cuing, it will be in here," the Doctor replies, gesturing to the forest of books around us. "Anyone who ever lived has at least one book about them somewhere in here."

"Everyone has an entire book about them?" Peeta asks.

"Well, technically everyone has a footnote," the Doctor amends. "That makes searching a bit more difficult."

I huff in frustration. For the last three months, The Doctor has dragged us all over the Universe to every place that stores information or has a database about individuals. But no matter where we look, we can't find out any more than we know.

If anything, what we find is even less than what we know. All we can find is that Cuing was the director of Satellite 7 for about a year and a half before we blew it up. Of course, none of them mention that we were responsible.

The records blame the destruction on the station's faulty ARC reactor. Most of the records also state that Cuing was killed in the destruction of Satellite 7. Before he became director, there's nothing. It's like he didn't exist until he arrived at Satellite 7. I doubt this place will have anything about Cuing before Satellite 7 either.

The frustration from the last three months washes over me. I want Cuing to pay for his role in the parallel Universe, but it's hard to hunt him down if he doesn't leave a trail. It's like hunting the wind. You know it's there, but you can never catch it. I don't see how forcing myself to skim a thousand more volumes is going to get us any closer to Cuing. If anything, I'm starting to get the feeling he'll show up when he's ready for us, not a moment before.

"Are you okay?" Peeta asks, noticing my expression.

"I don't see the point anymore," I say irritably. "We've searched everywhere and what we've learned is even less than what we know." I rub my eyes. "I need a break."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Peeta asks. From his expression, I know he's worried about my state of mind. I still haven't quite forgiven myself for my role the parallel Gale's death. True, I saved Prim, but the cost was almost too much. Maybe being alone with my thoughts isn't the best idea. But I shake that idea away. Right now, I just need to be on my own.

"No, I'll be fine," I say. I reach out and gently caress Peeta's cheek. "But thank you. I'll be back." I turn away and walk deeper into the library.

I walk aimlessly for awhile. I'm not really paying attention to where I'm going and I bump into a bookshelf. Fortunately, I'm moving slowly enough that I'm not injured and nothing is damaged. Out of curiosity, I look up to see what section I'm in. I left Peeta and the Doctor somewhere in the C's and I want to know how far I've come. The side of the bookshelf is covered with a giant, red E.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear the Doctor's voice. _Anyone who ever lived has at least one book about them somewhere in here. _I wonder if that includes me too. I glance around making sure the Doctor isn't in sight. I have a feeling he would disapprove if I were to find a book about myself. Probably would go off on some lecture about how dangerous it is for me to interfere in my timeline and how it would blow a hole in the Universe that he would have to fix.

I shake the thought away, justifying myself by saying I only want to see if there is a book about me. Still, I glance around making sure Peeta didn't follow. He'd likely parrot what the Doctor would say, and I don't want to hear it. Satisfied that I'm alone, I wander down the section, looking for my name. When I do see it, it takes me by surprise. I don't have just one book, but an entire shelf devoted to me.

Slowly, I approach the shelf. I reach up and gently pull the largest book down. If I'm going to look myself up, I might as well learn as much as possible. I cradle the book it in my hands and look down at it. The cover is dominated by a picture of me in my flaming costume from the first Tribute's parade I was in. Whatever ink they used makes flaming letters appear across the cover when I touch it. _Katniss Everdeen: The Girl on Fire. Written by Dr. Scott Pilgrim, History Department Head at New Earth University with a foreword by Dr. Kal Skirata, professor of history at New New York University._

Hesitantly, with a combination of guilt and excitement, I open the book. I skim through the foreword, mostly unadulterated praise for the author, and go straight to the first chapter. Glancing over it, it's all about my early life, when and where I was born, my family, and father's death in the mines. It's nothing I don't know and I'm about to move to the next chapter when something in the section about my father's death catches my eye.

_Though it is generally assumed that the mining accident that claimed Katniss' father's life was indeed an accident caused by a buildup of methane gas, further investigations carried out by the archaeology department at Lunar University indicate that the accident was, in fact, a deliberate sabotage of the mine. However, the reasons for the sabotage remain unknown -_

I skim through the rest of the section, but I find nothing else of any relevance. _Sabotage. _It's not really surprising. If the Capitol believed that the miners were a threat, or if they wanted to do something to oppress the districts, it would be the perfect thing to do. I look back at the book and focus on the fold out map of the mine. I stare at it, doing my best to memorize the layout of the mine and the location of the explosives. If I'm going to save my father, it's vital that I know this or I will fail.

I become so engrossed in memorizing the map that I don't notice Peeta until he's right next to me. "Katniss?" he says. I jerk back, heart pounding. I slam the book shut and try to shove it back on the shelf before he can see the cover. But it's too late.

"What's this?" He asks, taking the book from my hands. He glances down at the cover frowning.

"I was just curious," I say softly. "You would do the same thing, wouldn't you?"

Peeta holds the book in front of him as if it might explode if he grips it too tightly or too close. "No," he says. "This might have all the answers, but what if you don't like them?" He turns his focus away from the book and to me. "The real joy in life is living it. If you know what's coming, what's the point in doing anything? Or worse, what if you know what's coming and you try to change it only to make things worse? Besides, I don't want to know what's coming. I want to experience life with you, not sit around waiting for the inevitable to happen."

"What if it could save my life?" I ask.

Peeta concentrates on the book again. He frowns in concentration, and I can see him struggling with himself. "I will do whatever I can to protect you," he finally says. "But even if reading this could save one of our lives, what if doing so made things worse? What if we had to kill someone to save each other, or what if we had to go against everything we believe in? If I'm going to die, I want to die as myself."

I won't admit it out loud, he has a point. If I knew something terrible was going to happen to either of us, I would do anything to prevent it, even if doing so made things worse. I look away as Peeta places the book back on the self with deliberate care. "I came to tell you the TARDIS picked up a distress signal," Peeta says, shoving the book back in its place. "The Doctor wants to check it out."

Without further comment, he turns and heads back to the TARDIS. I stay where I am until he rounds the corner. I snatch the book off the shelf and open it to the fold out map of the mines. I tear it out and shove it in one of the inside pockets of my hunting jacket. Satisfied the map is secure and well hidden, I unceremoniously shove the book back on the shelf before running after Peeta.


	3. Odyssey

The TARDIS engines fall silent. "Where are we?" Peeta asks.

"Inside the Horse-head nebula," the Doctor answers. He frowns as he looks over the sensor displays. "the nebula is making it impossible for the sensors to pick anything up. We'll have to find the source of the distress signal the hard way."

"How hard can it be to find one ship?" Peeta asks.

In answer, the Doctor bounds to the TARDIS doors and throws them open. "Oh," is all Peeta can say. It's a bit of an understatement. Finding a ship will almost impossible. Outside the TARDIS is a thick fog-like substance. But instead of grey, it's as if jewels of every color have been crushed into dust and scattered as far as I can see. As the particles swirl and create new patterns, they reflect the light from an unknown source. Beautiful cannot even begin to describe it.

"I wish I had my canvas and paints," Peeta says softly. "I could stare at this forever."

Part of the nebula ripples and I can see a dark outline behind the cloudy material. Whatever it is, it's more solid than the rest of the nebula. Slowly, like an animal cautiously poking its head out of a burrow, the object floats out of the material which flows around it like water. For a moment I'm worried that it's something that lives here that spotted lunch. But the edges are to clean to be natural.

Slowly, the rest of the object clears the nebula. It's a ship of some kind. It's a light grey, almost white, circular and mostly flat, but it bulges at the center. As it clears the nebula, I notice it also has what looks like two pontoons attached on opposite sides. As it fully clears the nebula, I can make out words on the hull, written out in black letters that curve with the hull.

RS-71382-K. _Odyssey_.

"That's not our ship," the Doctor says, frowning. "The distress signal is coming from somewhere behind it. Let's find out what this lot is doing here." Without waiting for us to respond, the Doctor closes the doors and bounds to the control panel. He adjusts something before pulling the big lever. The TARDIS engines grind into action for a moment before stopping.

The Doctor bounds past us and out the TARDIS doors. Peeta follows him and I follow Peeta. As he steps out of the TARDIS, he freezes and I don't have time to react. I try to stop, but trip over the bottom of the TARDIS's door frame. I fall onto Peeta, and both of us crash into the ground. "What was that for?" I grumble, getting up. I answer my own question when I stand and find a dozen individuals aiming guns at us.

One of them, a woman with purple eyes a forehead dominated by ridges approaches us. She doesn't look happy to see us. Granted, not many people ever look happy to see us. "Who are you?" she demands. "And how did you get aboard my ship?"

The Doctor seems amused, despite the dozen guns aimed at us. "I'm the Doctor," he proclaims. "This is Katniss," he gestures to me, "and Peeta. I received a distress signal from somewhere around here and we came to check it out." The Doctor gives the woman his most winning smile. "Who are you?"

The woman glares at the Doctor as if she's trying to read his mind. Maybe she can. With her purple eyes and forehead ridges, I don't think she's human. Slowly, she lowers her gun, but doesn't put it away. "Captain Miral Paris, of the Research Starship _Odyssey,_" she says. "The distress signal you're looking for was from a Sontaran warship we investigated an hour ago. There was no crew aboard."

"Sontarans?" the Doctor asks. He scratches the side of his face. "Are you sure?"

"I know a Sontaran ship when I see one," Paris replies curtly.

"That's . . . unusual," the Doctor says.

"What's so unusual about it?" Paris asks. "Something was happening to the crew and they called for assistance. It's what I would have done."

"You don't know Sontarans very well at all," the Doctor says. "Sontaran ships _don't have distress signals. _They would rather die than call for help. To call for help is to be dishonored and any Sontaran captain who asks for help is stripped of command for his perceived cowardice and shunned until he dies."

"They were carrying a huge load of super-carbon," Paris says. "They wouldn't want us to have it."

"'Super-carbon?" Peeta asks.

"Toughest material in the Universe," Paris answers. "_Almost_ indestructible. We use it to make body armor. The Sontarans use it to make more durable weapons. They were here for the same reason we are; this nebula has an unusually large concentration of the stuff. More than I've ever seen anywhere else."

"Can we see the collection?" the Doctor asks.

Paris frowns. She regards us for a moment before answering. "O'Neal, take these three to the lab," she says. "And take a couple of your people with you."

"Aye ma'am," says a large man in a dark green uniform. He looks less than thrilled to be babysitting us, but still stands and gestures for us to follow. Like children, we follow him out of the bridge and through a long hallway. At one point, the lights start flickering and go out. Dim red lights flicker on so at least we can see.

"Shab!" O'Neal spits. He taps on the little triangle pinned to his uniform. "Maintenance, I thought you lot got the lights fixed!"

"I'm sorry sir," an apologetic voice replies. "It's the nebula. It screws up all the electronic systems. As soon as we get out, it won't be a problem anymore. But we are working on getting the lights back on."

As if on cue, the lights flicker back on. "About time," O'Neal grumbles.

"It wasn't us sir," the voice says.

O'Neal doesn't reply. Instead, he leads us to a door marked "Storage C". Waiting outside are two humans, a man and a woman. They glare at us, clearly suspicious, and cradle their massive guns, cannons really, where they're obvious. I take the hint about not touching anything. I can only hope the Doctor picks up on it too. I wouldn't be surprised if he picks everything up that isn't fixed to the floor or wall.

The doors slide open and O'Neal steps through. We follow him and our armed escort follows us close enough that I can feel them breathing on me. The Doctor doesn't even seem to notice them. His attention is instead taken up by the mountains of equipment in the room. He bounds over to it and starts examining everything. "Look how cool this stuff is!" he exclaims, pulling out what looks like a giant wheel. "A portable particle accelerator! I had one of these when I was a kid!"

O'Neal coughs to get the Doctor's attention. "Did you want to see the super-carbon or not?" he growls, obviously annoyed.

"Sorry," the Doctor says, putting the particle accelerator back down. He starts moving back towards us, but stops to check a bank of monitors. He frowns. "What's this fluctuation caused by?" he asks, pointing to what looks like randomly placed squiggly lines.

O'Neal shrugs. "Some kind of temporal and spatial anomaly at the center of the nebula," he says. "It's a wormhole, but it doesn't go anywhere. Like someone closed the other side."

The Doctor looks worried. "Did you pick up anything from the Sontaran ship?"

O'Neal frowns. "Just a statue, nothing remarkable," he says.

I feel a chill that's unrelated to how chilly Odyssey is. Just the mention of _statue _makes me nervous. Ever since Delphi and the Weeping Angels, I've come to hate statues. I always wonder if they're going to try to kill me. "What kind of statue?" I ask. I can hear my voice trembling.

"I don't know," O'Neal says impatiently. "I wasn't there. Now, are we going to look at the carbon or sit and babble about statues all day? I have important work to do." Without waiting for us to answer, he leads us to a large, clear, cylindrical container that's slightly taller than me. It's full of unremarkable grey dirt.

"This is the Super Carbon," O'Neal says, clearly wishing he were somewhere else. "We set our transporter to lock onto only the Carbon then we beam it into this holding chamber. Any questions?" The Doctor opens his mouth, but O'Neal cuts in. "No? Great, now I can go back to real work."

The lights go out again. "_Osik_," O'Neal growls. "Those idiots in maintenance better get this fixed before I go down there and fix them. One day I'll – what's that?" He's interrupted by what sounds like stone grinding on metal. I swear it moves right next to me before it falls silent. I reach out to grip Peeta's arm, noting how cold and hard it feels. The ship is cold, but not that cold.

The lights come on again. I glance over at Peeta, but it isn't his arm that I'm gripping.

It's a Weeping Angel.

I freeze in terror, unable to think, but still noticing every detail. Everything is exactly as I remember, except the face. The face isn't set in a snarl like the ones in Delphi. This Angel's expression is much more terrifying for a different reason. It's _smiling. _Somehow that is even scarier than the snarl. And, it isn't a normal happy expression. It's an expression of triumph.


	4. The Angels

_Don't blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back. Don't look away and don't blink._

_Good luck._

The 10th Doctor to Sally Sparrow. _Blink: _Doctor Who Series 3

I scream and jerk away from the Angel. Without realizing it, I scramble backwards and stumble into Peeta. He pulls me back and steps between me and the Angel as if he could protect me from it.

_Don't look away. Don't blink._ I repeat it over and over in my mind. I stare at the Angel, doing my best to keep my eyes open.

The lights go out again. I expect to feel the Angel's cold hands wrapping around my throat. Instead there's a sound of breaking glass before the lights come on. The Angel hasn't moved except for its arm which points at the tank behind us.

It's a trap. As soon as I look away the Angel will kill me. But I can't shake the feeling that it wants me to see what it's pointing at, especially with its triumphant smile.

Slowly, with a feeling of growing dread, I turn to the tank. I whimper like a child, too terrified to even scream now. The tank that held the Super Carbon, or whatever they called it, is shattered. Crawling out in various stages of completion are five more Weeping Angels.

The lights flicker and shut off again. I hear stone scraping on metal all around and I desperately cling to Peeta as if it would protect me. But the Angels don't come near us. Instead, I hear O'Neal and the two guards scream. There are three distinct cracking sounds and they all fall silent. The lights come back on. O'Neal and the guards are lying on the floor. Each of them had their neck broken. The Angels stand above them, theirs arms stretched out towards us and their faces contorted in hatred.

"Back up," the Doctor says softly. "The doors are still open."

I walk backwards, forcing myself to keep my eyes on the Angels and hoping the lights don't go out again. If they do, we're dead.

We escape the room without the lights going out again. But as soon as we all round the corner, I hear the Angels moving. "We need to get to the bridge," the Doctor says. "Warn everyone to get off this ship before the Angels kill them."

We keep moving towards the bridge, alternating between which one of us is looking back. The lights flicker again and go out. It's replaced by a dim red lighting that makes it barely more visible than being in darkness. Still, as long as we can see the Angels they can't hurt us.

But I can hear them. Just out of sight, I can hear them coming for us. I keep my eyes fixed on the direction we came from. But the instinct I developed over years of hunting, tingles. I have a feeling that something is behind us. I turn to look.

I scream. It's another Angel and its hand is mere centimeters from my face. Its face is frozen in a mask of hatred, its fangs barred. With its wings outstretched and in the dim, red lighting, the Angel looks like it's covered in blood, making it more menacing.

When I scream, the Doctor and Peeta turn. When the Doctor realizes it's another Angel, he immediately turns back to focus on the others, which took advantage of the short window they had to move closer to us.

The Doctor watches them while I focus on the one that almost killed me. Peeta alternates between them. We get by and manage to inch our way back to the bridge without them coming close again. But I hear them in the darkness.

When we step into the bridge, the lights come back on. The TARDIS is sitting where we left it. More than anything, I want to dive into it and leave this place behind forever. But the Doctor, of course, has other plans.

"You need to get everyone off this ship," the Doctor says to Paris. "If they don't, they will die."

"I'm not evacuating this ship," Paris says coldly.

The Doctor waves his hands, clearly frustrated. "That statue you picked up is the reason the Sontarans were all dead. It killed them."

Paris raises her left eyebrow. "Forgive me for not believing you," she says through gritted teeth. "But I can't help but notice how my Chief of Security failed to check in, yet here you are, seemingly unharmed. Tell me the truth."

"O'Neal is dead," the Doctor says angrily. "And everyone on this ship will be too unless you evacuate."

"You're lying," Paris snarls. "We will not abandon _Odyssey _and the largest concentration of Super Carbon ever found. Security!"

Six very large crewmembers, none of which are human, surround us, drawing their weapons. "Listen to me!" The Doctor pleads. His expression is one of desperation. "The Carbon you're collecting isn't just dust, it's Angels. They're using the energy from your ship to reform themselves."

"Get them out of my sight," Paris growls.

The lights go out again. Within seconds, I can hear the Angels moving around. The lights come back on again. Two of the Angels are blocking the exit, making it impossible to get past them. The other four surround everyone on the bridge.

"Where did they come from?" Paris asks, looking around in alarm. She draws her gun and alternates her aim between each Angel. "Identify yourselves!"

A speaker system rasps and O'Neal's voice comes through. "They're the Weeping Angels Ma'am," he says.

Paris glares at us. "You said O'Neal was dead," she says accusingly.

"I _am _dead ma'am," O'Neal's voice says. "The Angels only kept enough of me alive to communicate."

"What do you mean?" Paris demands, still alternating her aim between the Angels. "And what do they want?"

"The Angels removed my vocal chords and preserved enough of my conscious to allow me to communicate ma'am," O'Neal says. "They want the three who came in the blue box. The Angels say they were dumped in this star several million years ago. They're here for revenge ma'am. From what the Angels are telling me, it's going to be very . . . unpleasant for those three. Agonizing really. The Angels want to break them before killing them. I wouldn't want to be them ma'am."

I shiver. _Revenge. _It can only mean one thing. "You're the ones we killed in Delphi," I say. "How is that possible?" We stopped the Angels by dumping them into the heart of a star. I almost fell in myself and it nearly killed me. That they not only fell in, but survived, is terrifying.

"You can't kill an Angel," the Doctor says glumly.

"If you want them, why are you killing my crew?" Paris demands.

"Because they can," O'Neal replies. "But they'll let the rest live if you abandon _Odyssey _and leave those three to them. They're very keen on having their revenge. Abandon ship Captain. Anyone left aboard in five minutes will be killed."

Paris' face contorts in anger. "Like Hell I'm going to abandon _Odyssey_," she spits. She raises her gun and opens fire on the Angels. The rest of the crew on the bridge opens fire immediately after her. Instead of bullets, the guns fire what look like beams of light. As they strike the Angels, there's a burst of smoke and the area where the light hits an Angel glows red.

"Stop!" the Doctor says. "You can't kill an Angel! You'll only make things worse!"

But the crew ignores him, blasting the Angels over and over again until the bridge fills with smoke. It's impossible to see more than a few feet in any direction. The roar of the guns is too loud for me to make anything out, but I'm sure the Angels are moving around because, one by one, they fall silent and I can hear the Angels breaking necks.

I strain to see through the smoke, hoping that the guns actually did something to the Angels. Slowly, the smoke clears. The floor of the bridge is littered with the bodies of the crew. Only the three of us and Paris are left standing. Worse, we're surrounded by the Angels.

Paris looks around in horror at the bodies. The intercom crackles and O'Neal's voice comes over again. "You made a poor decision ma'am," he says. "I'm sorry, but since you rejected their generous offer, the Angels aren't going to leave any survivors."


	5. The Holodeck

**Hey all, sorry this took so long to get out. This was the hardest chapter to write. I wanted to show how evil the Angels are, but about halfway through the original (which was completely scrapped) I realized that it was way too dark. Not that a Doctor Who/Hunger Games can't be dark, but it was a bit more twisted than I wanted it to be. So I had to sit down and rewrite everything which took awhile. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I think it does a better job of what showing I intended than the original did.**

**Without further ado,**

**Allons-y!**

* * *

_Stone beats people every time._

Katniss Everdeen: Mockingjay

My focus is entirely on the Angel, but from the corner of my eye, I see Paris tap the triangle badge on her shirt. "Ship wide," she says. The triangle beeps and Paris frowns.

"It's no good ma'am," O'Neal's voice says. "The Angels have taken communications offline."

"I'm not going to sit by and let you kill my crew," Paris spits.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice ma'am," O'Neal says. "I'm sorry."

During this exchange, my eyes start to burn. I've gone too long without closing them and now I'm paying for it. I try closing one eye for a moment then switching to the other. It helps, but not much.

"There's always a choice," Paris replies. "I'm going to save my crew and there's no way you can stop me."

"If you insist on saving the crew, you'll be killed too ma'am," O'Neal's voice says.

"I'd rather die trying if you don't mind," Paris snaps. She turns and storms off the bridge.

"Come on," the Doctor says. "She won't get far on her own."

"What about the Angel?" I ask.

"It'll follow us, but they don't want us dead," the Doctor replies grimly. "Not yet anyway."

My eyes are burning and Peeta and the Doctor are probably not much better. Even if we wanted too, we can't watch the Angel much longer. And if they're going to kill us, I'd rather die trying to stop them. Assuming they can be stopped.

Hesitantly, I turn away from the Angel and follow the Doctor off the bridge. With no one looking at it, I hear the Angel moving. But it doesn't harm us. It just stays close behind as if ushering us somewhere.

We try to find Paris, but can't. Every time we start wandering down a side hallway, we eventually find it blocked by several Angels and we're forced to go back the way we came. I have a feeling that they're leading us somewhere.

"Where are they taking us?" I ask nervously after encountering the sixth barricade.

"No idea," the Doctor answers softly. "But I think we're about to find out." He points to an open door ahead of us. It's the only door I've seen that's open, and there are two Angels blocking the hallway beyond.

I look back to see if we can make our way to the bridge again. But the hallway behind us is blocked by another Angel. With no other option, we walk through the open door.

And into the woods outside of District 12. My mind reels. _How did we get here?_

"What's going on?" I ask, confused. "Did we come through a bridge?"

"No," the Doctor answers grimly, looking around. "We're on a holodeck."

"A holo-what?" Peeta asks.

"Holodeck," the Doctor repeats. "It uses omnidirectional holographic diodes – "

"You're making that up," I interrupt, looking around the woods for any Angels.

"I am _not,_" the Doctor says indignantly. "It uses light and force fields to re-create any environment. And people. It can create people too." He pulls out his screwdriver and activates it. After a moment, he frowns and puts the screwdriver back in his jacket. "It's been deadlocked. I can't shut it off or change it without using the control panel. But that could be anywhere." The door behind us hisses then slams shut. "There goes that escape plan," the Doctor says forlornly.

I look around the woods again. It looks real to me. "Where do we go then?" I ask.

"I don't think we have a choice," Peeta says grimly. He points to his right. I look to see several Angels hiding as best they can in the woods. A quick glance to my left and I spot a few others. With the door closed, our only option is to move forward.

As we walk, I can hear the Angels moving off to either side of us, keeping us moving in a straight path. They don't get close, though I spot them peeking out from between the trees every once in awhile. After walking for almost 30 minutes we leave the woods and step into the meadow outside District 12. The Doctor said this was all an illusion, but it _feels _too real to be a fake. I can feel the warmth of the sun and the cool breeze. As I walk, I can hear the grass crunch under my feet. In the trees, the birds are singing too.

The only thing that isn't right is District 12 itself. It's the old District 12, the one that was bombed during the revolution. I wonder what point this is at. All my thoughts are pushed away when I spot the figure in the meadow walking towards District 12. My heart jolts. There's only one person who has that gait.

At that moment, I forget that this is an illusion. The only thing in the Universe that matters is this figure.

"Father!" I shout. I run to him as fast as I can, even forgetting the Angels in my euphoria at seeing him alive.

"Katniss!" the Doctor calls after me. "It's not real!"

I ignore him. "Father!" I shout again.

The figure stops and turns. I'm close enough to see his expression of confusion. Then I crash into him, and wrap my arms around him. "Hey Katniss," he says, returning the hug.

I hear Peeta and the Doctor approaching, and reluctantly let go of my father and step back. "So, um, how are you?" I ask awkwardly. I'm not really sure what to say to someone I haven't seen for so long, especially someone so important to me. But what does it matter? My father is alive and here. That's the only thing that matters.

My father laughs. "I'm doing well sweetheart," he says jovially. "Just bringing home the haul." He gestures to the beaver, several squirrels, and a couple geese attached to his belt. Peeta and the Doctor finally catch up with us. My father glances at them. "Why don't you bring Peeta and your friend over for dinner?" Without saying anymore, he turns and ducks under the fence.

I start to move after him, but the Doctor grabs my shoulder and turns me around so I have to face him. "Katniss listen to me," he says. "None of this is real. I suspect the Angels programmed this as a trap."

I shrug off the Doctor. A part of me knows he's making sense, but I don't want to believe him. To believe him is to accept that my father is really dead. And I cannot do that.

I turn around and duck under the fence before making my way back to my old home. It's a bit nostalgic. Ever since it was bombed, most of it was rebuilt differently. But everything is exactly as I remember it. The feel of the road beneath my feet, the smells and sights, everything feels right. I'm tempted to stop by to see if Madge is here, and to visit the Hob, but I shrug the thought off. Right now my father and Prim are alive and are the only two people I really want to see.

I don't stop until I get to the front door. I wait for Peeta and the Doctor to catch up before I push the door open and step inside. It's exactly as I remember it. At least the house is. But the people I see are so much happier than I remember them. The only odd bit is that everyone is the age they were when I left for my first Games.

I hesitate as my vision blurs. I reach up and wipe my face. It's wet. I hold up my hand and see the tears still clinging to it. I feel Peeta gently grip my shoulder. I place my hand on his and squeeze back.

"Katniss, you're just in time for dinner," my mother says. "Come to the table dear. We've set up spots for Peeta and your friend." She ushers us to the table and seats us. "Peeta's family is joining us too," she adds, almost as an afterthought. Peeta inhales sharply and stiffens.

We seat ourselves around a table that part of me knows would never really fit in our house in the Seam. As soon as we're seated, Peeta's family comes trundling in through the front door. His brothers, all loud and boisterous, ruffle Peeta's hair and make jokes at his expense. His father hugs me and my parents warmly, while his mother stays back and has the expression of someone sucking on something sour.

I glance at Peeta to see his reaction. His eyes are watery with tears, but he's laughing and joking with my brothers. It's perfect. Someone knocks on the door, and my father answers it. Gale and Madge step in and greet me warmly before taking seats around the table which seems to have grown while I was looking away.

My parents set the food out and everyone digs in. The meal is a blur to me. All I can remember is how bright and happy everyone is. It helps that the food is perfect in every way too. We have everything. The game my father hauled in, a dandelion salad, fresh strawberries and blueberries, goat cheese from Lady spread on the warm thick loaves Peeta's father brought, and finally the small cake Peeta's father also provides.

When it gets dark outside, my mother brings out the candles and lights them and we continue talking. At some point, I completely forget that this is an illusion. For me, this is real. Our family and friends together, laughing over a meal illuminated by soft candlelight. It's like a pleasant dream I never want to wake up from.

The only time I remember reality is when I see the look of worry on the Doctor's face. So I ignore him and focus on my family.

Eventually, the meal ends, but everyone stays at the table, just talking. Someone else knocks at the door. I wonder who it is, but I'm so engaged in my conversation with Madge that I don't think about it. My father gets up to answer it.

"Who is it dearest?" my mother asks.

"I think it's a joke," my father says, confusion obvious in his tone. "Someone left a statue."

At the word 'statue', my stomach twists. Slowly, I look towards the door. Standing in the entrance, face covered with its hands, is a Weeping Angel. I don't understand how it could be here. Or why. Everyone gets up to get a look at it.

That's when the wall behind is explodes. I spin around and spot four more Angels frozen in the act of pushing through the rubble.

"Don't look away from them!" I screech. "They'll kill you!" I stare at the Angels, refusing to blink. But it's useless because the candles go out.

I hear them moving in the dark. I hear everyone struggling against them, knocking the table over and scattering dishes and food everywhere. I hear several necks snapping and bodies hitting the ground. Then the lights come on. My father, Prim, Peeta's father, and Gale are trapped in the Angels' hold, the same hold Cato used on Peeta in my first Games. On the ground around them are the dead. Peeta's brothers and mother, Madge, and my mother.

If I do nothing, my family will choke to death. If I try to do anything, the Angels will break their necks. But unlike Cato, I can't fight the Angels. Still, I think through my options as quickly as possible. But there's nothing I can do except stare at the Angels.

"Katniss," Prim whimpers. "Help us. Please." She reaches out to me. I feel my heart twist. There is nothing I can do.

The lights flicker. "Katniss, there's nothing you can do," Peeta murmurs in my ear. He tries to hide it, but I can hear the grief and frustration in his voice. "We need to get out of here."

"They aren't real," the Doctor says softly. "They're just images."

But they look so real that I can't accept that. I don't know how, but the Angels have somehow sent us back to District 12 and are threatening to kill my family. I can't stand by and do nothing, or I'll never forgive myself.

"Let them go," I plead. "They've done nothing to you. Take me instead. I'm the one who hurt you. Just leave them alone, please."

But there is no answer. I didn't expect one, and even if the Angels wanted to reply, I'm not sure how they would be able to unless I looked away. And that's something I won't do.

The lights flicker. "Please!" I beg, knowing the Angels are somehow in control of the lighting. "Don't hurt them, just let them go! Please!" My voice raises in pitch and volume as I speak. "Take me! Don't hurt them, take me!" Peeta and the Doctor grab me and start dragging me out. I struggle, but as strong as they are, it's no use. "LET THEM GO! PLEASE JUST DON'T HURT THEM!" I shriek.

The lights go out. "Catnip!" Gale yells. "Catnip, help, please!"

"Katniss, help!" Prim screams. Then I hear their necks snap. The lights come back on. The Angels have retreated to the far side of the dining room. Where they stood, lie their last victims. Gale and Prim's necks have been twisted completely around and their empty eyes stare into the void. My father and Peeta's father also had their necks broken, but not to the same degree.

"Why are you doing this?" I scream at the Angels. "What kind of monsters are you?"

I scream incoherantly and fight against Peeta and the Doctor until they manage to drag me out of the house. Then the fight goes out of me and I go limp. I would fall to the ground if Peeta weren't holding me up. I don't realize I'm sobbing until my face is buried in Peeta's shoulder. I can feel him crying to, his body shaking with sobs.

We both force ourselves to pull together. Crying uncontrollably won't stop the Angels. And there's no doubt they'll be coming for us soon.

"It's okay, they weren't real," Peeta says softly. "We're on _Odyssey,_ not in District 12."

"Why are they doing this?" I whisper. My throat feels ragged from all the screaming.

"They already told us," the Doctor says grimly. "They want revenge for what we did to them in Delphi. They said they were going to break us before they killed us. This is how they've chosen to break you two."

If feels like it's effective. I feel broken. But I'm not completely broken yet. Actually, I'm getting angry. I want to destroy the Angels forever.

"What do we do now?" I ask, wiping the remnants of my tears away.

"We have to get out and find our way to the transporter room," the Doctor says slowly. "If we can get it to lock onto what the Angels are made of, I could beam them into what's left of the bridge and close it."

"Would that stop them?" I ask.

"It's like a bridge that only goes halfway," the Doctor replies. "Put them on it and close this end, then it comes from nowhere and leads nowhere. They would be trapped in a void forever. There's no way to get out."

"How do we get out?" Peeta asks.

"We can't go out the main doors," the Doctor says slowly. "But if I can find the Jeffrey tube access . . ." He glances around before pulling up a rock, revealing a narrow passage. "In you go."

"Where does it lead?" Peeta asks.

"It's a maintenance shaft," the Doctor replies. "We can get to anywhere in the ship through these things. Better yet, the Angels are too big to follow. Assuming they don't decide to tear the ship apart."

Leaving us with that comforting thought, the Doctor clambers down the ladder and into the tube. It's better than staying here with the Angels so I follow. Peeta takes up the rear. The ladder only goes down a few feet before we reach the bottom. As soon as we're all clear, the Doctor reaches up and shuts the hatch. He pulls out his screwdriver and uses it like a flashlight. He gestures to a short tube that we'll have to crawl through. "Come one then," he says cheerfully, leading us into the darkness. "This way."


	6. In the Tubes

Our journey through the maintenance tubes isn't a very comfortable experience. We have to crawl on the cold metal floor. It's also tight, dark, and branches off every hundred yards or so. Still, it's still better than facing the Angels. On the other hand, I have no idea where we are. The Doctor has been leading us, but given our past experiences with him, I doubt he knows where he's going.

"How much further?" I finally ask.

"About another hundred yards or so," the Doctor replies cheerfully. "The access hatch opens directly into the transporter room."

"Are you sure the Angels haven't already gotten there?" Peeta asks from behind me.

The Doctor stops and I almost run into him. He looks back at us. He looks embarrassed. "I hadn't considered that," he admits glumly.

I groan. "I thought you were the intelligent one," I grumble.

"Why does everyone assume I know everything?" the Doctor says, obviously irritated.

"Because you're the Time Lord," Peeta replies.

"Yes, well . . ." The Doctor pauses. I can't see his face very well, but he looks contemplative. "I have a lot of important things to think about."

"Doesn't keeping us alive fall under important things to think about?" I counter.

That shuts him up.

"Now what?" Peeta asks.

I rub my forehead wearily. I wish we were somewhere where I knew the technology. If we were in the mines outside of District 12, I could at least try blowing the Angels up with explosives or hit them with pickaxes. It wouldn't be permanent, but it would at least stop them from killing us. Here though, the technology is so far beyond anything I know about that I feel essentially useless. We need someone who knows the technology and the ship.

That's when I have an idea. "Can you scan for life?" I ask the Doctor. "See if anyone is left on the ship?"

"Of course," the Doctor replies smugly. "That's easy. I just need a minute to get access to internal scanners."

The Doctor pulls a panel off the wall. Behind it are neatly ordered wires, each a different color. The Doctor jabs his screwdriver at them. He must find the one he's looking for because he eases it out from the rest and breaks it. Then he takes the ends and wraps them around the base of his screwdriver.

"Well?" I push, not wanting to wait longer than I have to.

"It takes a minute," the Doctor grumbles. "Humans. You're so impatient."

His screwdriver chimes. "Okay," the Doctor says eagerly, rubbing is hands together. "Sensors say . . ." He trails off and looks confused for a moment.

"What do they say?" I demand. The thought of being alone on this ship with only the Angels terrifies me. It's selfish, but I'm hoping at least some of the crew survived so I don't have to face them with only Peeta and the Doctor.

"Most of the crew is alive," the Doctor says slowly. He sounds worried.

"That's good though," Peeta says. "If everyone is alive. Maybe someone will know how to stop the Angels."

"I think this is a trap," the Doctor says slowly. He rubs his forehead. "The Angels are anticipating what we're going to do next. If they leave some of the crew alive, I have someone I have to try and save. Then when we move in –"

"They kill them," Peeta interjects.

"An excellent observation sir," O'Neal's voice booms. I jolt in surprise and look around for Angels. "And entirely correct. The Angels want you to try to save the crew."

"Then why tell us?" the Doctor asks. "Why not let it stay a trap?"

"Because the Angels want you to know sir," O'Neal answers. "They're very insistent that you know that you're going to fail before you try."

"Then why bother trying?" The Doctor asks.

"Because you need them sir," O'Neal replies.

"Why?" The Doctor pushes.

"The Angels dumped your box out the airlock sir," O'Neal says apologetically. "And the ship is bio-locked."

"Bio-what?" I ask, feeling stupid.

"Bio-locked," the Doctor answers grimly. "Everything on this ship will only recognize the people aboard. If anyone else tries to use it, it will lock up." He hesitates.

"And?" Peeta pushes.

"Well . . ." The Doctor scratches his chin, and looks uncomfortable. "It could cause the ship to self-destruct."

The true horror of our situation hits me. "So if we don't have a crewmember, we kill ourselves?" I ask.

"Realistically, the Angels would probably kill us first," the Doctor offers.

"That's comforting," Peeta says dryly.

I bury my face in my hands, fighting back an urge to scream. I'm also tempted to curl up and let myself die here. That would be a better alternative than facing the Angels. But as long as I'm alive, I'll keep fighting. I've survived facing them before. I can do it again. "Where is the crew?" I ask.

The Doctor consults his screwdriver. "It seems most of them are in the engine room," he answers. "But there are a few others scattered around."

"Who's the closest?" Peeta asks.

"Engine room," the Doctor says. "It's the safest place on the ship. The walls are five feet thick and made of solid steel. Even an Angel would have a hard time getting in."

"How do we get in?" Peeta asks.

"This way," the Doctor answers, untangling his screwdriver from the wires. He crawls deeper into _Odyssey._ Without comment, Peeta and I follow.


	7. The Plan

_Come away little light, come away to the darkness_

_In the shade of the night we'll come looking for you._

_We are coming for you._

_Come away little lamb, come away to the water_

_Give yourself so that we might live anew_

_Come away little lamb, come away to the slaughter_

_We are coming for you._

_Come away little lamb, come away to the water_

_To the arms that are waiting only for you._

_Come away little lamb, come away to the slaughter._

_We are coming for you_

Maroon 5 and Rozzi Crane: "Come Away to the Water" – The Hunger Games, Songs from District 12 and Beyond

* * *

We arrive at our destination within several minutes. The Doctor slowly opens the hatch and clambers out. Peeta and I are right behind him. At the top are at least thirty crew members, all aiming guns at us. Rough hands drag me the rest of the way out and guns are jammed in my face. I slowly raise my hands above my head, not wanting to be shot. It would be completely unfair to have escaped the Angels only to get killed by an overzealous crew member.

"Who are you?" One of them, a large green man with spikes protruding from his face, demands. Unlike the others who wear the same maroon and black uniforms, he wears white.

The Doctor waggles his hands above his head. "Hello," he says far more cheerfully than the situation warrants. "I'm the Doctor, this is Katniss, and that's Peeta."

"It's fine Oven," I hear Paris' voice say from somewhere behind the crew surrounding us. "It's only the Angels we have to worry about."

The crew members lower their guns, but keep them in hand. I lower my hands, but slowly. I don't want to startle them and get us shot for our trouble.

"Oven?" The Doctor asks, obviously perplexed. "His name is Oven?"

"Beck 'Oven' Eluding," Paris clarifies as the crew moves aside to let her approach us. "He's the ship's chef."

Something about Beck's name sends a shiver down my spine. It's oddly familiar, though I've never heard it before. Before I can think about it anymore, Peeta speaks. "How'd you survive?" he asks. "Last we saw, you ran off the bridge."

Paris purses her lips contemplatively. "The Angels didn't seem that interested in me," she finally says. "They mostly ignored me while I gathered as much of the crew as I could. Once I got this lot together, then the Angels started attacking. I started out with fifty, but the Angels killed about twenty of them before we could make it in here. It's the safest place on the ship."

"What's your plan then?" the Doctor asks.

Paris gestures to the room we're in. It looks like the TARDIS control room, except it's neater, less chaotic and has a bank of monitors and control panels along the walls. "We're going to reestablish communications and send out an SOS. One of our ships, _Andromeda_, is only a few light-years away. They can get here in minutes and beam us off." She looks at the ground glumly. "Of course, then we have to destroy _Odyssey_. But I'd rather see her destroyed than in the hands of those monsters."

"Are you sure you can hold off the Angels?" I ask. Just looking at the doors, they don't seem that thick. I could probably get through them if I were determined enough. The Doctor seems to think the same thing because he's examining them closely. I swear I even see him lick the doors. It's odd, but I suspect it's a Time Lord thing. Like the way snakes smell with their tongues.

Paris leans over and pats the wall. She seems proud when she speaks. "Two feet of solid titanium. Almost no force in the Universe could get through that. I'd like to see the Angels try."

"It's the _almost _part I don't care for," I comment dryly.

"It'll hold," Paris says dismissively. "At least long enough for _Andromeda_ to get here."

"It'll never work," the Doctor says, his ear pressed against the wall. "The Angels will rip through this in a matter of seconds."

Paris scoffs. "I think you overestimate them Doctor."

The Doctor turns slowly, all of his attention focused on Paris. "Have you already forgotten what happened on the bridge?" He asks slowly. "Have you already forgotten how quickly the Angels murdered them all?"

"Of course not," Paris snaps. She refuses to break eye contact with the Doctor. "But I don't have any other options."

The Doctor turns away from Paris and strides over to the bank of monitors and control panels. He looks over them for a moment before turning back to Paris. "Your teleporters, are they still calibrated for the super-carbon?"

"I believe so," Paris replies, crossing her arms. "Even if they are, what good will it do?"

The Doctor scratches his chin before replying."The other half of that wormhole, bridge thing is closed. It leads to a void. if we beam the Angels into it then close it, we trap the Angels in the void forever."

"But they won't die," I point out.

"But they couldn't escape," the Doctor replies. "It's the perfect prison. Technically the void doesn't exist. By trapping them in it, we trap them in a place that doesn't exist. And if it doesn't exist, you can't escape."

Paris' face wrinkles in concentration. "It would never work. We'd need a lot more power than _Odyessy _has to close that wormhole. Unless we self-destructed the reactor core. But we need to evacuate unless your plan is to kill us all."

The Doctor seems overly pleased with himself as he replies. "We don't need to destroy _Odyssey._ We have a Sontaran warship sitting outside. All we need to do is pop over, teleport the Angels into the bridge and activate the Sontaran ship's self-destruct mechanism. Then," the Doctor spreads his hands apart and makes a _krrr_ sound. "Angels trapped, _Odyssey _is safe, and everyone is home in time for dinner."

"How do we get off _Odyssey_?" Peeta asks. "Didn't they say they set the TARDIS afloat?"

The smug expression falls from the Doctor's face. "Forgot about that," he admits sheepishly.

Paris has had a contemplative look on her face, probably mulling over the Doctor's plan. "Do you know how to activate the Sontaran ship's self-destruct?"

"Just press the button labeled self-destruct," the Doctor answers dryly.

"They have a button that says that?" Peeta asks, clearly not sure if the Doctor is joking or not.

"They're Sontarans," the Doctor answers. "They would rather self-destruct than run, surrender, or be captured. It's the greatest dishonor for them. All Sontaran war ships are equipped with a self-destruct mechanism. That way, they take out as many enemies with them as possible."

I'm stunned into silence. I can understand the concept of taking out as many enemies as I can before dying. After all, I thought the same thing during the Quell didn't I? But the concept of not running or surrendering is bizarre.

Paris thinks for a moment before speaking. "If we can get to the shuttle-craft, and assuming the Angels haven't destroyed them, one of my crew can fly you over. The only difficulty will be getting past the Angels. The Jeffries tubes don't go into the hangar."

"I can fly one," the Doctor replies. The way the Doctor flies the TARDIS makes me doubt that statement. If he can't fly something he's had for hundreds of years, I doubt he could fly something he's never been in before. "Just tell us how to get to the hangar."

Paris considers for a second. "In the hallway, turn right. In a hundred yards or so, there's an intersection. Take another right and follow the hallway to the end. The last door is the entrance to the hangar."

"No sense in waiting around then," the Doctor says jovially. "Come along."

Paris presses a button on a control panel next to the doors. They slide open without a sound. The Doctor pokes his head out the door. "No Angels," he says before stepping into the hallway. I poke my head out the door and glance left and right down the dark hallway. Like the Doctor said, there aren't any Angels in sight. But I'm sure they're there, lurking in the dark. I take a deep shaky breath before stepping out into the hallway, making sure I'm holding onto Peeta's arm. Right now, he's really the only thing keeping me sane.

We take a right like Paris said. I can't see the Angels, but I can hear them skittering around us in the darkness. But for whatever reason, they don't approach. Maybe it's part of their attempt to break us. If it is, it's working, even if only a little. Knowing they're close and stalking us, I know they're up to something.

As I'm thinking this, we reach the intersection. Standing in it, is an Angel. The three of us pause. "We have to squeeze past it," Peeta finally says.

"Just follow me," the Doctor says. "And don't blink." As if I would have forgotten about that.

The Doctor squeezes through the gap between the Angel and the wall. Once on the other side, he gestures for us to follow. "We can't stand around," he says.

"Katniss, go," Peeta says. "I'll take up the rear."

Still, I hesitate. I don't want to go near the Angel. But I don't have another choice except to go back. I take a deep breath before I force myself to approach the Angel.

Getting by the Angel is one of the most terrifying experiences I've ever had. As I crawl by the Angel, I imagine the lights going off. I imagine its cold stone hands wrapping around my neck and breaking it. I shudder then force myself not to think about the Angel as I crawl by. I keep myself as close to the wall and as far away from it as possible. Despite my efforts, I brush against it.

The frigid surface makes me shiver. It's not just cold, but it somehow feels malevolent. As if it is draining the warmth and life from my body. I crawl faster until I get past the Angel. I turn and stand, making sure to keep my eyes open and on the Angel as Peeta starts crawling through after me.

Peeta is halfway through when the lights go out. I hear him cry out. "Peeta!" I scream.

The lights come back on. The Angel is gone, and Peeta is lying face first on the ground. My heart seems to stop. Then he struggles to get up. I move to help him, wondering why the Angels didn't kill him.

"Stay back!" Peeta shouts. "They've got my leg!" That's when I notice how oddly the lights have come back on. I can see Peeta's torso and his legs down to just above the knee. Past that is as if there's a wall of darkness.

The Doctor shines his screwdriver into the darkness. Several Angels stand, all of them gripping Peeta's legs with their cold stone hands.

"Katniss, go!" Peeta says. "You have to stop them!"

"I won't leave you!" I protest.

But Peeta ignores me. "Doctor, promise me you'll keep her safe. No matter what."

The Doctor puts a hand on my shoulder and tries to pull me back. I shrug him off and kneel, gripping Peeta's hands. "I won't leave you," I say again, more quietly.

"Katniss, listen to me," the intensity of Peeta's voice is enough that I don't say anything as he continues. "You have to stop them. That's the most important thing right now. Doctor, turn off the screwdriver."

"No!" I scream. But it's too late. The Doctor, with an expression of pain and frustration, turn his screwdriver away from the Angels, concealing them in darkness. That's when they drag Peeta into the darkness. "Peeta!" I scream as I lose my grip on him. "Peeta!"

"I love you!" is the last thing he says before the Angels drag him into the darkness.


	8. They're up to Something

**Hey all, sorry this took so long to get out. I've been busy doing projects and studying for tests for the last week or so, and they aren't fun topics to study for (Medieval European History and Resource Conservation. Fun stuff, but they suck to study for. Especially the first one. Curse you history and the impossible to spell names like Charlemagne!). I swear all of my professors conspired to make everything in the same week. It probably doesn't help that I got Minecraft. So much fun, but so time consuming. Anyway, here's the next chapter, and with any luck (aka me writing instead of playing Survival Games on Minecraft. I do feel bad about it. I know how much you all enjoy the series and it's really not cool of me to do less important things.), I'll be back to about a chapter a week.**

**Word of advice, don't play a lot of videogames. No matter how fun they are, they take up a lot of time you could spend on more important things. Like reading this chapter. That's your advice for the day.**

**Also, eerily, I noticed that a lot of the songs from the Hunger Games soundtrack (Songs from District 12 and Beyond, not the score) seem to fit really, really, REALLY well with Weeping Angels. Coincidence? I THINK …. probably, yeah.**

**Enough of me rambling. You just want to read the story at this point. **

**Allons-y!**

* * *

"Peeta!" I scream again. But it's too late. He's been dragged into the darkness and now the Angels have him. I take a step towards where he went, but the Doctor grabs my arm, holding me back.

"His only chance is if we can stop the Angels," he says urgently. "They won't kill him. Not yet."

I struggle against the Doctor, not believing him. The Angels will kill Peeta for sure. Likely, they will put his body somewhere I will find it. I can't bear the thought of losing Peeta, especially not to the Angels.

"Listen to me," the Doctor says insistently. He forces me to turn and look at him. "We can still save Peeta, but you have to trust me and we have to go now."

"I'm not leaving him!" I scream, struggling against the Doctor's grip. I don't know how I would fight the Angels, even if I could, but it's not in my nature to give up, no matter how insurmountable the odds.

The Doctor struggles to keep me from running after the Angels. "You have to, just for now. You can't face them. They'll kill you."

I spit out every word very clearly so the Doctor can't misunderstand. "I will _not _leave him!"

"I know how painful this is, but you have to trust me," the Doctor insists.

"How would you know?" I snap. "Everyone you love is dead!" The effect on the Doctor is instantaneous. He lets go of me and flinches back as if I've struck him. His expression of pain and sadness is so intense, it makes me feel sad too. But I push it aside. Right now, Peeta is the only one that matters. I can worry about the Doctor's hurt feelings later. Assuming we survive long enough for there to be a later.

The Doctor reaches into his jacket and pulls out his screwdriver. He stares at it for a moment before proffering it to me. Hesitantly, I take it. "Just point and think," he says.

"You're not coming with me?" I ask.

"Someone has to set up a self-destruct mechanism," the Doctor says cheerfully. There's no glimmer of sadness left. It's almost as if I never said anything. "On this ship, there's only one person who knows how to work with Sontaran technology. Nasty stuff. If you don't know what you're doing it will kill you. Literally, it will activate and attempt to kill you."

I feel a twinge of fear. Facing the Angels is bad enough. Facing them alone is terrifying. I want to run to the TARDIS and fly it home where I'll be safe from the Angels. Instead, I give the Doctor a terse nod. "Good luck," I say. I'm about to turn and head deeper into _Odyssey _when I realize I have no idea of how I'm going to find Peeta. "How do I find him?" I ask.

"Like I said, point and think," the Doctor says. "The sonic will get louder when it's pointed at him. It's already connected to the ship's sensors from earlier so it should be able to pick up his genetic code."

I hate it when the Doctor starts talking about things I don't understand or know. To be fair, there's a lot I don't know, but it's still irritating. "His what?"

"Never mind," the Doctor says, waving his hand in front of his face. "Just be careful."

The Doctor turns and strides into the darkness. Without waiting, I turn and point the screwdriver in the direction the Angels took Peeta. _Find Peeta_. I think as I activate it. The screwdriver whirs loudly. I turn slightly to the left and the sound decreases. I turn back to where it's loudest and start walking.

I move slowly through _Odyssey_. It's still dark with only the red emergency lights on. At least the screwdriver helps. It shines a powerful beam of light that illuminates the hallway ahead of me. But it's what could be sneaking up behind me that worries me. So occasionally, I turn around to make sure no Angels are creeping up behind me. Every time, the hallways are empty. Not that it's any comfort. For all I know, the Angels could be hiding around a corner or behind one of the innumerable closed doors.

My thoughts are interrupted by O'Neal's voice booming over the speakers. I'm startled enough that I almost drop the screwdriver, but manage to get a grip on it. "It's pointless ma'am," O'Neal says. "He'll be dead before you can reach him."

"And he'll die if I do nothing," I snap. I'm determined not to let O'Neal or the Angels intimidate me.

"True," O'Neal admits. "But you can leave now. You can save yourself and never have to see the Angels again."

I feel rage boiling up inside me. Rage at the Angels for assuming that I would so easily abandon one of the few people in the Universe that I love. Rage at how the Angels have continually manipulated us. When I answer, I let my anger propel my words. "I will _never _abandon him. I _will _save him, and I will destroy the Angels if it's the last thing I do."

"The Angels admire your spirit, but it also means that you aren't broken yet," O'Neal replies calmly. "Until that happens, they have no interest in allowing you to leave. I'm sorry ma'am. But they're quite insistent that you be broken."

"You tell them this," I growl. "If they harm Peeta in any way, there is no corner of this Universe where I can't hunt them down."

O'Neal doesn't reply for several minutes. "It seems the Angels are going to release Peeta," he finally says. "In return, you must leave _Odyssey._"

For a moment, I wonder if I really have scared the Angels. But I push that thought aside. They gave in too easily and I don't think a mere human could intimidate them. It's a trap, but I don't know what form it will take. Is Peeta the bait? Or did they do something to him? Until I find him, I won't know. So I raise the screwdriver again and follow the sound.

I make it about fifty yards before the screwdriver goes silent. I stand stunned for a moment. Peeta is dead. Maybe that was the trap; to give me hope, only to rip it away. But why wouldn't they force me to watch? The only other answer I can think of is that the screwdriver ran out of power. But the Doctor said it would never run out of power. He's been wrong before though. I look at my surroundings. Behind me is a pair of closed doors and another idea comes to mind. Hesitantly, I point the screwdriver at the doors and the whirring comes back. I sigh with relief. I just missed the doorway I needed to go through.

But it's quickly replaced by wariness. If Peeta is in that room, that's where the Angels want me to go. If it's a trap, I'll be walking right into it. Unfortunately, the room has no windows, and the door is closed so I can't see inside. I pause for a moment, looking around the door for a clue as to what awaits me inside. But, of course, there's nothing. With no other option but to leave, which I won't do, I slowly push the doors open.

As I do, the lights come back on. Maybe Paris already managed to beam the Angels off of the ship. I feel more confident as I enter the room. But it doesn't last long. Standing in the room, surrounding Peeta, are all six Angels.

"Katniss, what are you doing?" Peeta hisses. "Get out of here!"

"I'm not leaving without you," I reply, focusing on the Angels. They all have an expression of what I would call amusement. That worries me more than their expression of murderous hatred. At least when they look murderous, I know what they're up to. "Come on," I say insistently. "I can't watch them forever."

Peeta carefully makes his way past the Angels and to me. I grip his hand tightly and pull him out of the room. As we step into the hallway, I use the screwdriver to close the door. Not that it will do much good since I'm sure the Angels know how to open doors, but it makes me feel a little safer. I take a minute to examine Peeta. Other than bruises on his wrists from where the Angels grabbed him, he seems fine. They only had him for about ten minutes, so maybe they didn't have time to do anything to him. But I feel like they gave in too easily.

"What did they do to you?" I ask, relieved that he appears unharmed.

Peeta frowns and looks to the closed door. "It was weird. They held me down and made me look into ten eyes for a couple minutes."

"Ten eyes?" I ask, confused.

Peeta looks at me quizzically. "I said 'their'."

I shake my head. "No, you definitely said 'ten'. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Katniss, I'm nine."

"You said nine that time!" I'm starting to worry. What did the Angels do to him? Whatever it is, it seems to be affecting his mind. Whatever it is, I'm sure the Doctor will have an idea of what's wrong.

"No," I say. "We have to get off this ship. We have to find the Doctor and the TARDIS and get out of here."

Peeta frowns. "We can't just abandon these people. Not when they've tried to help us."

"We can't fight the Angels Peeta! They can't die! We already tried once and look what happened!"

"Katniss, please," Peeta puts his hands on my shoulders, and I'm forced to look into his eyes. Something about them seems different, but I don't have a chance to focus on it. "If you want to leave, I won't stop you. But I'm staying." He turns and starts walking towards the engine room.

I huff in frustration. It's not surprising really, that Peeta wants to stay and help. He always was the better of the two of us. "Let's go then," I grumble before following him.

We make our way to the engine room without incident. It's an easier journey than before, now the lights are back on. Before long, we're back at the thick steel doors. I'm tempted to use the screwdriver to open the door, but that would be a good way to get shot. I haven't forgotten that all the crew members had weapons.

Instead Peeta knocks. "Eight us in!" He yells.

"You said eight that time," I say, starting to worry. Something is definitely wrong with Peeta. He's counting down, but to what, I don't know.

The doors slide open and Paris pokes her head out. She looks confused when she sees us. "Didn't you go to the Sontaran ship?" she asks.

"The Doctor went without us," I say. "the Angels got Peeta and I wouldn't leave him behind."

Paris frowns, but steps aside and gestures us inside. As soon as we step past the doors, which are four feet thick, Paris shuts them. "You've been busy," Peeta comments, as he looks around the engine room.

I glance around too. Wires have been torn out of the walls and attached to the large pillar at the center of the room. screens have been taken off the walls and attached in different places. With random stuff hooked up in seemingly random places, it looks more like the control room of the TARDIS.

Paris places her hands on her hips and glances around. "We've been trying to restore power. The teleporter won't work without it."

"Whatever you did, it worked," I say. "The lights came back on when I was getting Peeta."

Paris raises an eyebrow. Somehow, it accents the ridges on her forehead even more. "That wasn't us. We haven't attached anything to the reactor core yet."

"So who turned the lights back on?" I ask.

O'Neal's voice booms over the speakers. "We did ma'am."

"Why?" Peeta asks. "Seven the point?"

"What did you do to him?" I demand. "Why is he counting down? What happens when he reaches zero?"

"To answer his question, the Angels wanted all of you in one place," O'Neal says. "It's easier than hunting you all down. As for why he's counting down, the Angels say 'it's a surprise'."

Paris responds before I can say anything. "I'd like to see the Angels try to get in here."

O'Neal doesn't reply. Instead, I hear a ringing, like something heavy striking metal. One of the crew, glances at a data-pad "They're trying to break down the door ma'am!" she says nervously. "Based on what sensors are saying, they're hitting it with enough force that it will break within five to ten minutes."

"Check the Jeffries tubes," Paris orders. "We may have to get out of here in a hurry."

A large grey mass that looks more like clay than a life-form tugs on the hatch, but it doesn't open. It frowns and checks a readout. "They've been sealed shut ma'am," it says in a deep gravelly voice. "The Angels tore holes in the side of _Odyssey _so the Jeffries tubes have been drained of oxygen." Its outline visibly quivers like small waves on a pond. When it speaks, it sounds like it's about to cry. "There's no way out! We're all going to die!"

"Correct," O'Neal's voice booms. "All of you are going to die."

"We're not going to six up," Peeta says grimly.

"You said six!" I exclaim in fear. Peeta is almost halfway to zero and I don't know what will happen when he reaches it. But whatever it is, I doubt it's going to be a pleasant. Will he go mutt like he did after the Capitol hijacked him? Or will it be something worse?

There's a loud bang and the door visibly dents. The crew starts to panic until Paris shouts "Attention!" The crew members immediately stand at attention as if they've been drilled. Which, thinking about it, they probably have.

Paris stand in front of the crew and when she speaks, her voice rings with authority. "In all my years in the Federation, I have never seen a threat as great as the one we face now. But we will _not _be intimidated by them. We have one chance of stopping them. But we can't do that if you panic. Our only chance of succeeding is if you stay calm and do what you've been trained to do. And if we are to die, I would rather we die trying to stop them. Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am," a few of the crew mumble, clearly not convinced.

"I said, _am I clear_?"

"Yes ma'am!" the crew shouts in unison.

Paris glances at her crew, then me and Peeta. "Then let's stop the Angels."


	9. The Showdown

_But turn around._

_They've surrounded you, it's a showdown_

_And nobody comes to save you now_

_But you got something they don't,_

_Yeah, you got something they don't_

_You've just got to keep your eyes open_

Taylor Swift: _Eyes Open _– The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond

* * *

There's another loud ringing sound and another dent appears in the door. Judging on how fast the Angels are breaking the door, I give it about five minutes before they get through. At least the lights are on and there are more than thirty people in the room. As long as at least one person is watching them, they can't move.

"Move!" Paris barks. The crewmembers scatter around the engine room and immediately get to work. I assume they're attempting to fix the teleporter, but I wouldn't know. As far as I can tell, they're just hooking random wires together in random places.

"Captain, do you want us to five?" Peeta asks Paris.

"You said five!" I exclaim. I'm starting to become terrified. Whatever happens when he reaches zero is sure to be unpleasant if not horrifying. Whatever it is, I'm sure it will tilt the odds in the Angels' favor.

"I think it's best if you not speak," Paris says, looking grim. "You can't count down if you aren't talking."

Peeta opens his mouth to reply, but I cover it with my hand to prevent him from reaching four. I glare at him, shaking my head. While looking into his eyes, I notice the reflection there. At first, I think it's just me and I'm about to turn away, but something about the reflection bothers me. So I look closer. I gasp and stiffen, which causes Peeta to raise his eyebrows questioningly.

When I speak, my voice trembles. "There's an Angel in your eye." I'm not sure how it's possible, or even if it's really there, but it's what I see. Maybe that's what they did. Put an Angel in him that will kill him when he reaches zero. But I immediately discard that idea. There's no way an Angel could be put inside a person. It must be an illusion, something the Angels did to further terrorize us.

"Four?" Peeta blurts out. He immediately clamps his hand over his mouth. I wish I knew how to make him stop counting down. And I'm still terrified of what will happen when he reaches zero.

The only way to know for sure is to let him reach zero. But that's not going to happen if I can help it. Of course, to fix it, I have to know what they did to him. I know he said he was forced to look at the Angels, but I've seen them multiple times and I haven't had this problem. Which means they did something more to Peeta. Something I don't, or perhaps can't, understand. I wish the Doctor were here. He might have an idea of what to do. But right now, he's busy setting up the self-destruct system on the Sontaran ship. Even if I had a way to contact him, I might distract him at a vital moment and we would all be blown to smithereens.

That leaves me with two options. One is to figure out what the Angels did and try to find a way to reverse it. That has two major, and likely fatal, flaws. First is the assumption that it can be reversed, and even if it can, only the Angels could explain what they did. Even if they would do that, which I doubt, I still have the second flaw to contend with. I don't have enough time before Peeta reaches zero and/or the Angels get into the engine room.

The other option, and the only one that might work, is to find a way to keep Peeta from speaking at all. I consider taping his mouth shut with something, but I don't know if I could find something in time. That and it would only muffle him, not make it impossible for him to speak. He could still count down, but I wouldn't necessarily hear it. That leaves me with one choice. I consider it for a moment. I don't like it, but it's the only thing that will stop Peeta from counting down. I'll still have the Angels to deal with, but there's nothing I can do about that except hope the crew fixes the teleporter soon.

"I have an idea," I say. "Stay here."

"Three," Peeta blurts out, despite his best effort to keep his mouth shut.

I glance around the engine room until I spot Paris. I make my way over to her.

"I have a plan to stop Peeta from counting down," I say.

"Make it quick," Paris snaps.

I explain my plan. Paris raises an eyebrow but doesn't reject it. Instead, she hands me her gun and sets it up for me before pressing it into my hand. I grip the gun tightly behind my back as I make my way back to Peeta. He looks at me expectantly as I stand over him.

"Two?" He blurts out. Again, he clamps his hand over his mouth, looking furious with himself.

"Peeta," I say with the same tone I use while approaching a wounded animal. "I think I know how to stop you from counting down. But you have to trust me."

Peeta nods vigorously. I take a deep breath before revealing Paris' gun and aiming it at him. His eyes widen with terror and disbelief. "One!" he screams desperately.

"I'm sorry," I say as I pull the trigger. There's a flash of blue light accompanied by a zapping sound. Peeta twitches for a moment before collapsing to the ground. I let my arm drop to my side. I don't feel good about shooting Peeta, but as long as he's unconscious, he can't count down. Once we've gotten rid of the Angels, we should be able to find a way to help him.

I'm forced back into reality by the sound of metal being torn apart. I spin towards the doors just in time to see one of them crack in half. It teeters for a moment before falling to the ground with a loud bang. "We're running out of time ladies and gentlemen," Paris says calmly, though I can hear the tremor of fear in her voice.

"We still need ten minutes Captain," says a little creature that looks like a bizarre hybrid of a cat and a human.

Paris frowns, but doesn't take her eyes of the Angels. "You have two." The lights flicker ominously. "Though that might be generous," Paris adds. "Mrs. Mellark, have you taken care of your problem?"

"Yes," I say softly.

"Good," Paris says.

The lights flicker again. The Angels are now reaching into the engine room. Their cold, stone claws reach towards us and their faces are contorted in hatred. I have a feeling that, if they get in, none of us will get out.

The speakers burst with static before O'Neal's voice booms over them. "It's over ma'am. Your plan has failed and the Angels have won. The Angels promise that if you close your eyes now, your deaths will be quick."

"As long as I'm alive, I'm not giving up," Paris spits.

O'Neal replies in a condescending tone. "It's no use ma'am. The Angels will kill all of you and will take _Odyssey_. They will spread out through the Universe until they are the only life remaining."

Paris spits out each word of her reply. "Over my dead body."

"As you wish ma'am," O'Neal says. The lights start flickering.

"Tell me you've got something," Paris says.

"Almost ma'am, but we need another minute," the small cat-human says.

"I need it done five minutes ago," Paris growls.

"We're doing our best ma'am," the cat-human squeaks.

"Not good enough," Paris replies.

The lights flicker again and I pull the sonic screwdriver from my pocket. If the lights go out, it will be the only source of light. Plus, it seems to be the only thing the Angels can't affect. The lights flicker ominously, but don't go out.

Instead, the wires that the crew was working with start sparking. "Captain, they've sent a surge through the teleporter!" A man yells from across the room. "They've been taken off-line!"

Paris grits her teeth as O'Neal's voice booms over the speakers. "As I said ma'am, resistance is futile."

I glance at the wires, thinking. Maybe I can use the screwdriver to fix them. I'm not sure how, but if all I need to do is point and think, maybe that's enough. I'm about to do it when the lights flicker and go out. I immediately use the screwdriver to illuminate the Angels. Fortunately, the beam is wide enough that it reveals all of them.

"How long will that last?" Paris asks.

"I don't know. The Doctor said it would last forever, but I honestly don't know." I admit.

Paris turns back to the crew. "Can we get it fixed?"

"No ma'am," a man says. "The Angels have completely fried the circuits. It would take hours to replace them."

Paris rubs her forehead. "Options?" she asks.

I have an idea, but if it doesn't work, we'll all die. But it's better than standing in a stalemate forever. I take a deep breath before turning the screwdriver towards the mass of wires behind me.

"What are you doing?" Paris shouts.

But I don't answer. _Fix the teleporter _I think. The screwdriver whirs and sparks fly from the exposed parts of the wires. It provides sporadic light, enough to see the Angels drawing closer. In comparison to them lurking in the dark, this is more terrifying. I'm considering turning the screwdriver back towards the Angels, but I'm committed. Either the teleporter gets fixed or the Angels kill us all.

One of them is heading straight for me, its claws outstretched as if to embrace me. But I stand my ground. It's ten feet away. Then five. Its outstretched claw brushes my cheek when there's a loud humming sound. The Angels start to glow with a soft golden light. At first, I think that this is something new.

But when they start to fade, I realize this must be the teleporter. Still, the Angels might find a way to stop it, so I continue pointing the screwdriver at the mass of wires. _Send the Angels into the bridge_ I think, blocking out everything but that thought.

The glow around the Angels becomes so bright I have to look away. There's a sound like muffled thunder and I look up to see the Angels are gone. But rather than relief, I feel exhausted. I let myself sink to the floor next to Peeta, who is still unconscious. I barely take note as one of the crew, I think it's the one that looks like a mound of clay, hefts Peeta in one arm as if he weighed almost nothing. With the other arm, it ushers me after Paris and to the bridge.

The bodies of the bridge crew are still strewn about. The living quickly, but respectfully, move the dead to what looks like a conference room that's just off the bridge. The clay thing gently lays Peeta out of the way on the bridge. I sit next to him as the crew bustles around and Paris barks orders.

They must establish communication with the Sontaran ship because when I glance at the window, I see a semi-transparent image of the Doctor. I'm not paying too much attention to what he's saying. But I do notice when he mentions being unable to set up an automatic self-destruct. It takes a moment for what he said to sink in.

"What?" I demand, jumping to my feet.

"Yes, sorry," the Doctor says apologetically. "The Sontarans finally upgraded their system so I can't interfere with the self-destruct system at all. And it's immediate. Someone has to press the button. Whoever that is won't escape."

"You can't leave us here!" I shout. "We don't know anything about this time! And Peeta has an Angel inside him, and I don't know how to fix him!" What I don't mention is how I would lose the chance to save the people I care about.

Paris cuts in. "We might be able to beam you off before it's too late."

The Doctor looks grim when he replies. "The self-destruct button causes the core to collapse in on itself. It's dense enough to create a temporary small black hole. _Odyssey _wouldn't be able to escape. It would be sucked into the black hole and destroyed."

Paris closes her eyes and rubs a hand across her face. "Get us out of here," she orders. "Thank you Doctor."

"But what about Peeta?" I demand. But it's too late. The image has disappeared. I hear a humming and _Odyssey _vibrates as it starts to move. First slowly, then faster as we burst out of the nebula.

"Captain, the Sontaran ship has self-destructed," one of the crew announces. She frowns as she consults a readout. "The black hole is expanding more rapidly than anticipated. I don't think we can make it."

_Odyssey _shudders. "Get us to warp nine, NOW!" Paris orders.

The humming becomes more powerful to the point that I feel it. Yet the stars I see through the window seem to be getting further away. An alarm blares as _Odyssey _shudders even more violently.

"Why aren't we at warp nine?" Paris demands.

"We _are _at warp nine," says the small cat-human. "I'm sorry Captain, but it appears that we are only delaying the inevitable."

"Give her everything we've got!" Paris snaps. "Divert all power to the thrusters!"

The lights flicker and go out. For a brief moment I'm terrified before I remember the Angels aren't on the ship anymore. "What happens if we fall into the black hole?" I ask. I don't really want to know, but since we're about to find out anyway, I might as well know what to expect.

"We'd be crushed into a spot no larger than a crumpled piece of paper," Paris replies sadly. She shakes her head. "I'm sorry everyone. We gave it our best. I just want to say that it's been a pleasure knowing all of you."

Being crushed into a spot the size of crumpled paper is bound to be excruciating. My only comfort is that Peeta is unconscious and won't feel a thing. Carefully, I position him so he's propped against the wall. I wrap my arms around him as a giant crack appears in the ceiling. _Odyssey_'s engines scream in protest and the ship vibrates so violently that if I were standing, I would be thrown to my feet. The crack in the ceiling spreads slowly towards the window.

I try to imagine what Peeta would say at this moment, but it's pointless. Our voices are about to be silenced forever. Unable to do anything else, I bury my face in Peeta's shoulder, happy that I could at least be with him at the end.


	10. Love and Hate

Has it been seconds or millennia since we started falling? I don't know. The only thing I do know is the crushing sensation that I feel all over my body, like a great iron hand squeezing the life out of me. That and the sound of tortured metal as the black hole relentlessly crushes _Odyssey_.

It's getting hard to breath too. All that's left to wonder is if _Odyssey_ or I will be crushed first. Or perhaps I'll suffocate, unable to breathe as the air is squeezed from my lungs. Or, or, or. So many ways I could die. Because I know now that there is no escape. But Paris still hasn't seemed to have accepted it. _Why doesn't she just let us fall in? _I wonder. It's clear now that _Odyssey_ cannot escape, yet still, she keeps the engines going at full power. I'm not one to give up, but we're facing something that cannot be fought, something we cannot flee.

Yet Paris stands at the helm, teeth gritted and a grimace cutting across her face. She murmurs softly, begging the ship to get out. The rest of the crew members stand faithfully at their positions, doing what little they can. But it isn't enough, it will never be enough.

I hear another cracking sound and look up to see cracks appearing in the viewport. _Odyssey _shudders violently and the cracks stop spreading. I feel a slight shift in _Odyssey's _momentum. "What happened?" Paris demands. "Is the black hole collapsing in on itself?"

"No ma'am," says a crew member, consulting a read-out. "Gravitation pull of the black hole is the same. However, our position is holding steady."

"What's holding us here?" Paris asks, clearly baffled by this turn.

Another crewmember checks a screen. "Unknown ma'am," she says. "But something in the black hole seems to be holding us in position. Sensors are suffering too much distortion so we can't detect what it is or where it's from."

"Captain!" the clay-looking crew member interrupts. "Incoming communication. Text only."

Paris crosses her arms, her expression one of extreme confusion. "On screen."

The viewport flickers and semi-transparent red letters appear on the screen. I don't understand them at all. They seem completely random.

_Hold on tight, don't let go, 'cause ready or not . . . GERONIMO_

As I'm trying to puzzle out what it means, the TARDIS soars into view. Without warning, everyone on the bridge is thrown backwards as _Odyssey _leaps after the TARDIS. Relief floods through me as I realize that we aren't going to die. At least not yet.

After a few minutes, the TARDIS disappears. The grinding woosh fills the bridge as the TARDIS lands. Once it falls silent, the doors open and the Doctor swaggers out.

Paris opens her mouth "How -" But that's as far as she gets before the Doctor interrupts.

"My people practically created black holes," he says smugly. "And I didn't actually have to push the button. I remembered I got some racquetballs for Genghis Khan as a stress reliever. I was supposed to give him a goat, but I could never find one. Anway, I lobbed one, not a goat because that would be mean, no, I lobbed a racquetball the self-destruct button and flew the TARDIS out before everything went to hell. Quite brilliant, really. I impressed myself. And that's hard to do. Impress me I mean. I'm always brilliant." Right then, you two ready to go?" He turns to us and frowns when he sees Peeta is unconscious.

I answer the question before the Doctor can ask. "The Angels forced him to look into their eyes. He was counting down and they said something horrible would happen when he reached zero. Knocking him out was the only way to stop him from counting. What did they do to him? And how do we fix it?"

The Doctor looks grim when he answers. "They put an Angel inside of him. If he had reached zero, it would have ripped its way out of him." I feel the blood drain from my face. Peeta was so close. If I hadn't have acted, he would be dead right now. Worse, he would have been replaced by an Angel.

"As for how to fix it . . ." The Doctor closes his eyes for a minute. "Help me get him on the TARDIS."

With some help from Paris, the three of us manage to get Peeta into the TARDIS control room. Paris glances around in awe. "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it."

The Doctor rubs his hands together. "Yes, well, sorry I can't give you the tour. But we have to get far away from here in case my plan goes wrong. It could rip a hole in the side of the Universe. Or turn us all into potted plants. Thought that might be interesting. I've never been a plant before. On second thought, I would rather skip that experience."

Paris looks bewildered, but nods curtly. "Good luck then," she starts to leave, but turns before she heads out the doors. "Doctor, if you or Katniss or Peeta ever need my help, don't hesitate to find me. I owe you for saving my ship and my crew."

The Doctor looks embarrassed as he mumbles "yes, well, you're welcome". With that, Paris leaves, shutting the door behind her. The Doctor immediately springs into action, and within minutes, the TARDIS is in flight again.

"Where are we going?" I ask, hoping that wherever it is, they can get the Angel out of Peeta.

"The TARDIS isn't going anywhere. I've just set her up to fly through the vortex. No distractions that way. We, however, are going into his mind."

Without further explanation, the Doctor kneels over Peeta. I kneel next to the Doctor as he reaches out and puts one hand on the side of Peeta's head. "You might want to get comfortable," the Doctor suggests. So I lie down on Peeta's left, taking his hand in mine. The Doctor places his other hand on the side of my head. "Just close your eyes and relax," the Doctor says.

As I did on Satellite Seven, the last time the Doctor did this, I feel like the cage around my mind has been opened and the curtain pulled away Even though I've experienced this before, I still can't get used to it. The only difference this time is that, behind the enormous presence of the Doctor, there are two other presences, one wrapped around the other.

Since this is all mental, there's no real way to move. Yet, simply by thinking about it, I find myself on the other side of the Doctor, looking at the intertwined presences. One is a small, but bright, golden sphere with streaks of black in it. The other looks like a large grey worm wrapped tightly around the sphere. _Is that Peeta? _I think.

_Yes. _The Doctor's voice says in my mind. _That thing around him is the Angel._

_How are we supposed to stop it? _I ask.

The Doctor is silent, though I can hear snippets of the ideas he's coming up with. _Come on. I think I have an idea that will work._

I'm not sure if the sphere that is Peeta hurtles towards me, or if I move to it, but suddenly I find myself surrounded by a golden mist. The Doctor stands next to me, looking around. I look around too as the mist slowly takes form. Suddenly, we're standing at the Cornucopia, though I can't tell which of our Games it's from. Around us are swirling particles of what can only be described as darkness. In it, I can see the faces of the various mutts and monsters we've faced. But they sink back into the mist to reform elsewhere.

_What is this place? _I ask, still looking around.

_This is the darkest part of him. _The Doctor replies. _This is where the Angel would try to keep him._

_So where is he? _I ask.

I sense more than see the Doctor shrug. _He's your husband. You have a deeper bond with him than anyone. Just reach for him._

I'm not really sure how to do that without a body. But I give it a try. _Peeta? _I shout in my mind.

_Katniss? _Peeta replies. I'm not sure where he is until he emerges from the black fog that surrounds us. I sense confusion emanating from him. _Where is this place?_

I sense the Doctor shrug again. _It's your mind. You tell us. On second thought, never mind. We don't have a lot of time for talking. Which doesn't mean much coming from me, because I love to talk. Give me a chance and I can go for hours. Well, sometimes. Usually I have to stop and explain because no one else can keep up and –_

_Doctor! _I interrupt.

_Sorry. Where's the Angel? _The Doctor replies.

_Outside. _Peeta replies.

_Well, technically it's in your mind. _The Doctor replies. _There isn't an 'out there'. Only your own construction of what your mind looks like. Which we can use to stop the Angel._

_How? How can I stop an Angel? _Peeta asks. _It's not even real._

I sense a shift in the Doctor's mood. The sense of detached amusement I get changes into something solid and insistent. _Oh, it's very real. But here, in your mind, you have more power. You have to trap it, not let it trap you._

_Once we trap it, is it over? _Peeta asks.

_No. You'll have to fight it for the rest of your life. Every moment it will be trying to escape and every moment you have to hold it back. Because if it escapes for even a second, you will die. Don't worry, it's not as hard as it sounds. But you have to stop it first._

_How do we stop it? _Peeta asks.

_The Angel feeds on your fear. Like a Dementor. Except they feed on happiness. So it's not like a Dementor at all. Not important. The Angel wants you to stay here. The more fear you feel, the stronger the Angel becomes. To fight it, you have to bring up every happy memory you have._

_Aren't you going to do something? _Peeta asks.

The Doctor sounds strained as he speaks. _I'm keeping our mental link maintained. It's not easy when the Angel is fighting to break it. So no distractions please. Unless it's important. Of course if we've gotten to that point, we've probably failed. Never mind. Ignore me. Just think happy thoughts._

I feel Peeta's concentrating. After a moment, snippets of Peeta's memories start swirling over and around me like a wave. Some, like our toasting, I recognize. Others fly by so fast I can't catch them. But one in particular catches my attention. It doesn't seem like a memory so much as an idea. It sits at the center of the swirl, glowing bright and warm like the sun. I look closer at it until I can distinguish it a little better. It looks like a woman, but unlike anyone I've ever seen.

With the bright light, features are impossible to distinguish, but I feel a sense of perfection emanating from it. Curious about who the mysterious figure is draws me closer. As I stare into the face, it seems familiar. Then I realize, wondering why I didn't figure it out sooner, that it's me. That this is how I appear to Peeta. Not just a person. But as a being more radiant than the sun, perfect in every way.

I feel a combination of embarrassment and some shame. It's true that I love Peeta, but not to this extent. If he were to die, I would be miserable for awhile, but eventually I would move on. Peeta, it seems, is not the same. I am the center of his Universe. If I were to die, everything else would descend into irreparable chaos and, until this moment, I never understood that. I never realized that he loved me so unconditionally, so . . . perfectly. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear Haymitch's voice from the Victory Tour so many years ago. _You could do a lot worse._

But the time for musing is over. I detect a gradual shift as the light is slowly blotted out by darkness. Like clouds gradually forming and covering the sun. Except these clouds writhe like snakes as they reach towards me. They emanate a sensation I can only describe as cold. Not just an uncomfortable cold, but the kind of cold that sinks into everything it touches and extinguishes life everywhere it goes. It has a sense of malice to it. It's so full of hate, so bitter twisted and utterly _alien _that I shrink back from it, clinging to the little bit of fading light like a drowning man clings to a rickety life boat that is in danger of sinking. If Peeta is pure love, this _thing, _this Angel is pure hate.

And right now it seems hate is winning.

_Katniss _Peeta says. _I – I can't do this. _I feel him faltering against the tide of hatred that bears down on us.

I feel a burst of anger towards the Angel. Peeta and I have been through too much, and fought so hard for it to end this way. We've beaten the Angles twice now,yet this one still threatens to take him from me. I'm determined that I won't let it happen, even if I have to face the Angel alone. _You have to hold on. I won't lose you. Not like this. Not again. _I insist.

_I'm not strong enough. _He says. The light flickers dangerously, like a lit candle in a powerful wind.

_Yes you are! _I put as much insistence into my words as possible. It doesn't seem to be enough. The Angel is still crushing us and bit by bit we're losing to it. Infuriated, I think of the only thing that might work. If Peeta doesn't think he's strong enough, I have to show him he is. So that's what I do. I bring up every memory of the nights his arms warded off the nightmares. Every memory of times I sought comfort in his arms. Their gentle strength as they cradled me. I focus on sending it all to Peeta and merging it with him. More, I imagine my strength joining his, helping him fight the Angel.

It doesn't seem to have any effect. Then I notice a slight, almost imperceptible shift in the balance of power. Slowly at first, but more quickly, the Angel is being pushed back. The swirling darkness is slowly replaced by a golden light. The struggle continues for what feels like a century, the two sides pushing back and forth. For the whole time, I give my strength to Peeta, until finally he is crushing the Angel.

_Doctor what do we do now? _I ask.

The Doctor's presence becomes apparent when he replies. _ Just imagine a cage of happy memories forming around the Angel. That should hold it well enough._

Slowly, golden tendrils form around the Angel. They slowly solidify as they weave an elaborate pattern around the Angel. I don't know if it's seconds or another millennia, but eventually the Angel, now looking like the statue version is trapped in a golden cage.

It's the last thing I see before I'm being flung into space. After a moment, I hit something and stick to it. _What's going on? _I ask, disoriented. But there's no reply. I become aware of the sudden emptiness around my mind, like a cover has been thrown over it. I also hear sounds, like the rush of blood in my ears, the beat of my heart, and the grinding woosh of the TARDIS engine.

I open my eyes. Above me is the TARDIS ceiling. I sit up and look around, still feeling somewhat disoriented. It doesn't help that the TARDIS is rocking violently. Next to me, Peeta is rubbing his eyes as if he woke up. "You okay?" I croak, grimacing at how dry my throat feels.

"Yeah," Peeta croaks back. He coughs before sitting up.

"Well done, both of you," the Doctor says. He seems proud as he beams at us. Before we can comment, he turns back to the TARDIS control console. "Right then, where too?"

"Honestly, a break would be nice," I croak, struggling to get to my feet. I'm still disoriented and the TARDIS won't stop bouncing around, so after my first attempt fails, I give up, content to stay on the floor for now.

The grin falls of the Doctor's face. "Yes, of course." He doesn't seem very happy. "Home it is then."

"Not home," I say, worried now that the Doctor will take us back. If he does that, I'm afraid I'll never get a chance to save my father. "Just somewhere we can take a break. Somewhere . . . " I think about what I want for a minute, but it's Peeta who answers for me.

"Somewhere happy."

The grin returns to the Doctor's face. "I know the perfect place. Happiest place on Earth. Actually, the happiest place in the Universe." He bounds around the control console, pressing buttons and flipping switches. Peeta staggers to his feet before helping me up. We join the Doctor at the console, keeping out of his way as he dashes around.

"Where is it?" Peeta asks.

"What is it?" I add.

In reply, the Doctor grins enigmatically and pulls the largest lever on the console.

* * *

**Hey all,**

**That's it for Odyssey. Next up is Paradise. It's going to be really fun with a special location, AND one of the most well known enemies of the Doctor. And (possibly) one of his companions ****(Spoilers!)****. **


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